Belt up and hit the road to better China relations

By Harold Mitchell

18 May 2018 — 12:15am

This coming week I’ll be in Beijing because I believe that the rise and rise of Asia, particularly China, is inevitable and, properly handled, will be good for all.

The truth is that the 19th century belonged to Europe and our great ties with those nations, especially Great Britain, helped us establish ourselves in the modern world. The 20th century was driven by the force of the North American economy and it became the American century.

But the 21st century belongs to Asia and the wider non-Asian community needs to understand that this is not a new phenomenon. By the middle of this century, Asia will hold 50 per cent of the world’s wealth.

Australia will have three of the four biggest economies in the world as neighbours - China, Japan, India and quite possibly Indonesia. America will recede in importance but will have a great presence.

It will be a challenging time as we all learn to live together in a rapidly changing power dynamic, but live together we must. “The alternatives are unthinkable," say Charlie and Louise.

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Author and academic Arne Westad says: "For most of the time since the dawn of human civilisation, Asia has been in the lead, economically and technologically. It is more likely that Western predominance started with the industrial revolution and may be ending with the information revolution."

So, I head to Beijing where a highlight will be a performance by the great Melbourne Symphony Orchestra under the baton of internationally acclaimed chief conductor Sir Andrew Davis. I was involved with the hiring of Sir Andrew some years ago and this is his farewell tour.

But I would argue that cultural and educational exchanges complement the strong relationship between nations and can transcend the passing parade of individual governments. And so, as Sir Andrew conducts to a packed audience at the architecturally brilliant Beijing concert hall, NCPA, I know that we’ll all be doing a good thing for the long-term relations between the countries.

And while I’m there, I will be having further talks about the rollout of the One Belt, One Road initiative. In particular, I’ll be meeting with Professor Wang Yiwei, who is the director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China. His book, The Belt and Road: What Will China Offer The World In Its Rise, is the first book produced in China about the subject. He will be visiting Australia later this year.

Professor Wang points out that this is China’s new Silk Road for the modern world and will transform global trade. We’ll see how that works out.

There are dangers, but this practical and large-scale trade initiative will expand the world economy as the belt and road winds its way from Asia through China, Europe and on to Africa. It’s a very big idea and we need to come to terms with a radical shift of power that is only just beginning.

Our federal government actively supports business getting on with it in China and always has.Our Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, gets a bit of flack, but I have to say she has been incredibly helpful, as has her department, for my visit next week.

It’s not only our fine musicians who are getting on with the job of building people-to-people relations. Tomorrow night, Port Adelaide will play the Gold Coast Suns at the Jainwan Stadium in Shanghai and the game will be telecast across China to a bigger viewing audience than has ever watched an AFL game at home.

We need to engage with the irreversible trends of the modern world rather than standing back and appearing somehow fearful.

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China is our biggest trading partner and yet many of our 1 million Chinese Australians sometimes feel we don’t recognise them or the great contribution they have made to our country since the 1850s and even earlier, when their ancestors traded with Aboriginal nations in northern Australia centuries ago.

There is more for us to do.

One Belt, One Road was launched in Beijing in May 2017 and the Victorian Premier was the only Australian government leader invited. Premier Daniel Andrews made a speech at the conference and we can now see how the relationship with China is paying off with increases in jobs, trade and investment in Victoria. He has insisted on every minister of his government visiting China and they have. Other states are now getting into the game and engaging with China.

We must build a sense of community between Asians and Australians. It can’t just be about the dollars, although it will make a stronger economy for Australia.

Harold Mitchell is chairman of the Victorian Jobs and Investment Panel.